Duplicity
by Miss Kagura
Summary: Kagome and Sesshomaru are keeping a dark secret from Inuyasha. Kikyou is dead, and they're responsible.
1. The So Called Crime

**Chapter 1 – The So-Called Crime**

"Have ye seen any traces of Kikyou yet, Inuyasha?" Kaede asked as Inuyasha and his companions sat in her hut, eating stew. "It's been awhile, I'm starting to--"**  
**

"Don't say it." Inuyasha said. "She's probably just laying low to hide from Naraku. I'm sure she's just waiting for the right time to show herself." It was the same conversation they'd been having for months; Kikyou had simply vanished. There were no sightings of her, and Inuyasha hadn't picked up even a whiff of her scent in six moon cycles. Even he was starting to fear the worst in his heart. "Now that his heart is out of his body, Naraku will kill her the first chance he gets. She has to hide.

Kaede sighed. "Kagome, wouldn't ye know if Kikyou died? Part of your soul would be returned. Have you sensed anything like that?"

Kagome looked her straight in the eyes. "No." She said.

After dinner was over, Inuyasha asked Kagome to go for a walk with him. "Kagome, you've been acting real weird lately. Is there something I should know about?"

"No." Kagome said. "I'm just not feeling well today."

Inuyasha looked at her, his eyes filled with concern. "I'm really worried about Kikyou." Inuyasha said. "I'm afraid for her. Wherever she is, whatever has happened to her, are we ever going to see her again?" Inuyasha saw the tears forming in her eyes. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Kagome said, pulling away as he tried to embrace her. "Don't do that!"

**Six Months Earlier**

Kagome undressed and sank down into the freezing cold water. The only warmth she could feel came from the tears that slowly ran down her face. She refused to cry in front of the others, after she came back, knowing Inuyasha's heart belonged to Kikyou. No matter how hard she tried not to think badly of Kikyou, there would always be that one spot of darkness on her heart. When Naraku's incarnation found it, she felt embarrassed, weak, and petty for thinking Inuyasha would chase Kikyou to the ends of the earth while she was in danger.

"I just want to be with Inuyasha. Is that so wrong?" Kagome asked, her voice laced with anger.

Kilala gave her a mew of sympathy and then went back to splashing around for fish.

The wind carried her voice a little farther than she realized, and it hit the sensitive ears of Inuyasha as he walked farther away from her. He felt a stab of pain, but knew Kikyou's life might be in danger. That was the least of the reasons he couldn't turn around for her though. Mostly, Inuyasha just couldn't bring himself to face Kagome on the subject of Kikyou again. It hurt both of them too much. Kagome was going to go home for a few days to catch up on school; that was probably best for everyone. Sango was going home to visit the graves of her family, Miroku was probably off to commit lechery, and Inuyasha and Shippou were just going to hang out for a week. They would meet back at the well in one week.

Kagome dried off and accidentally tripped on her backpack, spilling it in the grass near the pond where she bathed while in Kaede's village. She threw everything back in and made a dash for the well, running away from the stress of her life to the refuge of home. It was the next morning that she realized her math book was missing, and had likely been left in the feudal era.

Later that night, after several hours of homework and dinner, she went down the well to retrieve the missing book. As soon as she crawled out of the well, she felt anxious and upset, but she blamed that on the drama that lead to her leaving and quietly made her way to the pond.

Kagome saw a shadow form overhead, blocking out the brilliant light from the full moon. Before she could scream, a terrible pain shot through her body and she felt herself being violently yanked into the air. The hawk youkai flew quickly, holding Kagome up by the talons that pierced her left shoulder, which was going numb from the intense pain and blood loss. At some point, she passed out, because when she awoke, she was falling, fast. Tree branches scratched and bruised her as she fell through the forest and then landed on the ground.

When Kagome finally opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Kikyou. "Kikyou?" She asked, shocked that the priestess would actually save her life.

"Don't worry, you don't seem to have any broken bones." Kikyou replied.

Kagome sat up, wincing in pain. "Thank you for saving me." She said. "I guess we're even now."

"I did not save you for the sake of doing so." Kikyou said. "You saved my life because you chose to do so. I owe you nothing."

Kagome stood up and defensively grasped the tiny vial hanging from her neck. "If you're here for the jewel shards, you can't have them!"

Not far from where the two women stood in the Great Youkai Forest, Sesshomaru sat, leaning against a tree as he watched Rin annoy Jaken. The scents in the air disturbed him, and the wind told him that there was a clay body and a wounded human nearby, both of which he identified easily. Sesshomaru knew that Kikyou had taken all the Shikon shards collected by Inuyasha and given them to Naraku, which opened the door for his numerous incarnations. Had she attacked the younger miko in hopes of gaining the other shards Inuyasha had taken since then? Naraku had almost completed the jewel already, Inuyasha's wench could have been carrying the last fragments he needed.

"Jaken, take Rin and Ah-Un out of the forest and into safe territory. Understood?" Sesshomaru said as another scent hit his nose. "Naraku..."

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken said. "Come, Rin!"

As he drew closer to the women, he realized the smell he had attributed to Naraku was simply his miasma, which was eating away at Kikyou's body. Still, he was mildly interested in what was happening and still suspected Kikyou might be planning to give Naraku more power by stealing the jewel shards.

"I said 'no!' Now leave me alone!" Kagome said, holding her wounded arm. "You didn't collect these shards. We did." Kagome said. "All you want to do is give them to Naraku so you can have your petty vengeance. You don't even care how many people he kills because of what you did!" Inside, Kagome was infuriated by the damage done by Naraku's incarnations, which existed because of the pieces of the jewel Kikyou had given him.

Kikyou yanked the jewel shards off her neck. "My little copy..." She spun and drew her bow, then fired a shot into the darkness. The glowing arrow stopped before it reached it's destination and dissolved. "Who's there?"

Kagome had seen that happen once before. "Sesshomaru?"

"Sesshomaru!" Kikyou said. "This is none of your concern."

Sesshomaru flashed his claws. "Where is Naraku?"

"Why would I know?" Kikyou asked.

"This Sesshomaru assumes you were not planning on keeping those shards for yourself." Sesshomaru said. Kikyou started to walk away, passing Sesshomaru as if he wasn't even there. As she got closer, she threw out a fisted hand and pierced his chest with a purification arrow. Sesshomaru fell to his knees, growling as his instincts fought purification. His claws grew out and started to drip with poison, his eyes turned red, and the markings on his face brightened. The intense burning pain in his chest kept him from thinking or responding to anything.

Kagome stared at Kikyou as she kept walking and felt the anger surface yet again. As bad as Sesshomaru was, she couldn't see a reason to do what she'd done. "Hey, Kikyou!" She said, chasing after her. Kagome tripped and fell forward, but grabbed Kikyou. Kagome gasped as Kikyou fell backward and onto Sesshomaru's claws. "KIKYOU!" The poison, which was far stronger than Naraku's miasma, killed her instantly. Kikyou's clay body shattered into tiny pieces. "K-K-Kikyou..." Kagome sat down sobbing. "Kikyou! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!" A large, yellow orb rose from the clay and went into Kagome's body and her soul became whole again.

Sesshomaru stared at his claws and then at Kagome, and she saw something she had never seen in his eyes. Fear. He debated killing Kagome, but if his suspicions were correct, killing the only priestess capable of purifying the jewel would make it impossible for Naraku to be killed. "Stop crying." He snapped.

"How am I going to tell Inuyasha about this?" Kagome cried "Poor Kikyou!" Her words seemed incoherent to Sesshomaru, who harshly yanked her up.

His eyes threatened her as he spoke, something she had rarely seen. When she had heard him speak, he rarely said more than a few words. "Do you realize your own circumstances? The person who had the most to gain from her death is not Naraku. It is you."

"Inuyasha trusts me." Kagome said as she processed what he had just said. She and Inuyasha had come to odds over Kikyou less than a day before, and he knew she'd left angry.

"Does he trust you enough to believe you accidentally met Kikyou, and I happened upon you by chance, and by some strange coincidence she fell on my poisonous claws?" Sesshomaru asked. "When it comes to that woman, my brother is weak. He will look for some way to avenge her and he will force me to fight him to the death."

Kagome trembled and jerked herself out of his grasp. "This can't be happening."

"It is." Sesshomaru said. "You would make me kill Inuyasha over the death of someone who was never alive in the first place?"

One single Saimyosho flew away, having seen the entire event unfold.

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**Next Chapter: Inuyasha has a dream that Kikyou is dead!**


	2. The Truth About Nothing

**Chapter 2 – The Truth About Nothing**

(Still in the past, this section is set the day after the incident.)

The morning after Kikyou's death, Kagome awoke in a cave, having either cried herself to sleep or passed out from a combination of pain and exhaustion. The wound on her shoulder, as well as her cuts had been cleaned, and her bloody shirt was neatly folded at her feet. She hurt everywhere, but it was forgotten when she saw a pair of amber eyes staring at her as she sat there in her bra and skirt. Kagome blushed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Kikyou..."

"Your companions are not looking for you, are they?" Sesshomaru asked, surprised Inuyasha wasn't running all over the countryside screaming for the young priestess.

Kagome shook her head. "They think I've gone home for the week." The smell of smoke was still in the air, where Sesshomaru had burned every trace they'd ever met Kikyou or that Kikyou's final resting place was in the middle of The Great Youkai Forest. "Would you...would you please take me home? Please?"

Sesshomaru glared at her. "No. I'll return you to your home when they expect you to be there."

"What am I supposed to do until then? You aren't seriously going to make me stay here!" Kagome cried out.

Sesshomaru stood. "Do whatever you please, but you may not leave the immediate area. Grieve, if you must. When you go back you won't so much as hint at what occurred last night."

"You're afraid I'll break down and tell everyone." Kagome said. He didn't answer, but walked out of the cave to Ah-Un, who landed nearby. Sesshomaru came back with a kimono and a blanket and threw them at Kagome. "Why do you care? You've tried to kill Inuyasha countless times!"

Sesshomaru's expression never changed as he knelt down, inches from her face. "Have I?" He put his fingers under her chin and forced her to look at him. "Make no mistake, Kagome." Kagome shuddered at the mention of her name. "If I wanted that whelp dead, he would have been dead before you were born."

"I doubt that." Kagome said, breaking away from his gaze. Her stomach growled, and she realized she was stuck in a cave, with Sesshomaru, injured, with no supplies. She ignored it, and tried to think of a way she could escape. "INU—UMHP"

Sesshomaru's hand clapped over her mouth and he threw her down. "You should not be so eager for his rescue. The dirt on your body is not from this forest."

Kagome stayed on the ground and braced her arm. "It was an accident! Please just...let me go!" She curled up and started crying, and Sesshomaru just stared at her. "Please...I'm hurt, I'm cold, I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I'm scared, and I just want to go home!" He did nothing but watch as she cried herself back to sleep.

That night, she woke up to find a fire crackling near the mouth of the cave, and the blanket was draped over her. Sesshomaru was watching a couple of fish cook. She put the kimono on and crawled over to the fire and took a fish he held out to her. Neither said anything, and Kagome ate and drank, then went back to curling up at the back of the cave. She felt better, like she'd simply cried herself out of tears. The wound on her shoulder seemed to look quite a lot better, and considering that they were deep punctures, she was surprised that there was no swelling or infection. "Thank you." She said. "What if I just tell him I did it? Accidentally."

Sesshomaru stared down at the fire. "He would cast you away from him. That would be unproductive, and have the same effect in the fight against Naraku as if I had simply killed you."

"If I tell him the truth..." Kagome started. "He'll do that, and then he'll try to fight you to the death." She remembered the conversation from earlier. "What did you mean when you said you didn't want Inuyasha dead?"

"That is none of your concern." Sesshomaru snapped.

Kagome was starting to feel impatient. "It is, because you made it my concern!"

Sesshomaru bit into his bottom lip. "You have yet to give me a reason I should tell you. Perhaps you should like to tell me what is on the other side of the well?"

"I can't just tell anyone about that. You have to promise me...you won't try to go through it and you won't use it against me." Kagome said.

"You have my word." Sesshomaru said.

Kagome pulled the blanket closer around her and crawled back to the fire, suddenly feeling cold. "I'm from five centuries in the future. The well takes me back to my time, but only Inuyasha and I can go through it for some reason."

Sesshomaru poked at the fire. "I promised my father I would not kill Inuyasha."

"Then I'm lying to Inuyasha to save your life, not his. Unless you'd break your own promise." Kagome mumbled. "Why should I care if Inuyasha kills you?"

Sesshomaru's suddenly seemed amused. "You would blame yourself regardless of the outcome of the fight." He watched Kagome rub her injured shoulder. "Humans are such strange creatures." Kagome could see the curiosity in his eyes, as if he wanted to ask her something, but held back.

"If we were to...talk, on the condition that what is said doesn't leave this cave...I'll answer whatever question it is that you want to ask so badly." Kagome said.

Sesshomaru suspiciously stared at Kagome, whose intense focus on him seemed more curiosity than fear. "Agreed." He examined her again before he spoke. "I am not ignorant of the things that happen. I know what that woman was in relation to you and to Inuyasha. Why are you so miserable that she is dead?"

Kagome's cheeks turned red at the insinuation that he knew about the strange love triangle. "She was Kikyou..."

"I fail to see the point." Sesshomaru said. "Or is it that you feel miserable because of the act, and not the actual life that was lost? Does the fact that you ended a life or the fact that the life was Kikyou's upset you more?"

Kagome's mind reeled as she considered his words. She felt beyond terrible for killing Kikyou, but she'd probably feel bad no matter who she killed, if the victim wasn't some terrible demon. At the same time, this was Kikyou, who she pitied. Kikyou, who Inuyasha loved. "If you saw me kill Kikyou, would you be sitting here in your current state of distress?"

Kagome felt guilt rise up inside of her when she answered. "No." Kagome said. "We've thought she was dead before. Then, I was sad for Inuyasha, not Kikyou."

"Aside from demons, you have never ended a life before now?" Sesshomaru asked.

"No! What kind of monster do you think I am?" Kagome asked indignantly. "You don't even care that we killed her, you're just worried about Inuyasha finding out we did it!"

Sesshomaru watched her in all her anger. Why did she expect him to be sad? In his eyes, they had unintentionally ended the life of a woman who lacked a normal body and possessed only a partial soul. Kikyou had also lived off manipulating the souls of the dead, which was considered a fairly heinous act in and of itself. His mind tracked back a few weeks to Rin, who cried for the better part of the day when she stepped on a lizard, sending it to death.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome said as the demon suddenly seemed to lose attention in the conversation. "My turn."

"Hmm?" He responded.

"Are you quiet all the time or just around people you don't like?" Kagome asked.

His eyes narrowed and he stared into her. "I am social with very few people." That much was true. To most of the world, he was a cold, generally quiet bastard who roamed about the countryside doing as he pleased, but there were a few exceptions. Kagome wasn't about to become one of them, because she was both a human and the human that her brother wished to mate with.

"You're thinking about Inuyasha right now." Kagome said.

Sesshomaru gave her an amused stare. "And how did you know that?"

"You looked like you were about to upchuck." Kagome said, catching herself using slang. "Vomit."

A thought hit Kagome as she remembered the long forgotten math book. "Sesshomaru, I left something important at the village, and if Inuyasha finds it, he'll try to bring it home to me. But I'm not at home, I'm here!"

"What is it?" Sesshomaru asked.

"My math book. Inuyasha knows I need that for school." Kagome said.

"You...are literate?" Sesshomaru asked, as if stunned. "And someone is bothering to educate you, despite your traipsing across feudal Japan as you see fit?"

Kagome's hands rolled into fists. "Would you just go get the book? It's by a pond where I bathe in the village by the well."

"If I come back and you're not here, I will bind and gag you for the remainder of the week." Sesshomaru snapped as he disappeared into the night. If the forest was as dangerous as Kikyou and Sesshomaru hinted at, there's no way she'd bother with try to leave. Sesshomaru would just track her scent down, and drag her back.

When he left, she opened her kimono and examined her injuries. _Whatever he did to treat my wounds worked great, I'll have to ask him about that when he gets back._

Back at Kaede's village, Inuyasha was sitting in a tree, having returned from a fruitless search for Kikyou. He caught a whiff of something and sat at full attention, trying to get another trace of the scent that would have recognized anywhere. "Sesshomaru!" He yelled as he leapt down and bounded through the forest. He traced the scent from the woods to the stream, then back again. Inuyasha's senses told him Sesshomaru was leaving the area, fast, and decided not to chase him. Whatever his reasons for coming to the pond, he didn't know, and didn't care. There was nothing of interest there and Sesshomaru was gone.

**Six Months Later**

"I'm fine!" Kagome said, pulling away as he tried to embrace her. "Don't do that!"

"Why?" Inuyasha asked, his eyes sincere.

Their relationship had deteriorated slowly as the guilt ate away at Kagome. Every time she went home, he would go search for Kikyou, totally unaware that she was dead. At some point, she had hoped he'd just realize he wasn't going to see her again and move on, but there was always a glimmer of hope in him.

The part of her that loved him wanted to tell him what had happened to Kikyou, so he could mourn her and move on. The other part knew that after this long, he'd never forgive her and there was still the issue of Sesshomaru, who had been kind enough to save her life.

"Because I just...I can't do this anymore." Kagome cried.

It was true. One more hug from Inuyasha threatened to break her as she mulled over the past six months for the thousandth time. She hadn't gone home that week at all, and what transpired in the cave was just something else she kept from Inuyasha. If Inuyasha ever knew everything that had happened, she had no idea what would happen to either of them. She could imagine some sort of crazed demonic state where he simply killed everything in sight until Sesshomaru killed him, or he killed Sesshomaru and kept on killing. Either way, she wasn't about to pit the brothers against each other. The price of staying silent was far less than what she'd pay if one or both of them died.

The next morning, she avoided Inuyasha like the plague. He looked tired and bedraggled, and she wasn't sure if it was because of what she'd said the day before or another reason entirely. They set out, hot on a tip about Naraku, and he barely said a word.

"Inuyasha looks extremely disturbed." Miroku said, as he sat on Kilala behind the women and Shippou. "Kagome, do you know why?"

"I can hear you, you know." Inuyasha snapped.

Shippou climbed onto Kilala's head. "Poor Inuyasha was tossing and turning all night, calling out for Kikyou."

Inuyasha stopped and turned to face them. "We're not going to look for Kikyou anymore. She's dead. She came to me in a dream last night and told me she had moved on." Kagome swallowed hard. Since he hadn't gone on a rampage after his brother, or her for that matter, it was safe to assume he still had no clue what had happened. Inuyasha's expression begged for Kagome's comfort, but like every other time, she couldn't offer it. Kagome looked away and Inuyasha kept walking forward.

_I'm doing this because I love him._ Kagome thought.

Naraku headed toward the group hastily. It was time to play with Inuyasha and his companions.

"He's coming this way!" Inuyasha said, stepping ahead of the ground, holding Tessaiga.

Naraku sped up to them and stopped, wearing the baboon pelt, but no mask. "Heheheheh, hello, Inuyasha."

"Naraku!" He screamed. "You killed Kikyou!"

Naraku raised an arm. "Kikyou is indeed dead, but I had no hand in her death. I myself was quite shocked to learn about the circumstances of her death."

"What happened to her?" Inuyasha asked, lowering his sword.

Naraku smirked. "Kikyou died the day after you saw her last. There was a clandestine meeting in The Great Youkai forest. Three people attended and only two walked away alive. One was Kikyou, one was your enemy, and the last is one of your companions that travels with you even as we speak." He laughed and gave Kagome a quick glare. "Killing Kikyou was only the first of many betrayals committed against you."

"Don't listen to him, Inuyasha! He's just making up lies to turn you against us!" Miroku shouted.

"They burned the area where she died, masking their scents from you." Naraku said.

Inuyasha sheathed Tessaiga. "We're leaving." He said. _The last day I ever saw her alive was the day we all broke up for the week. Miroku came back with bruises, Sango was limping...I don't think Shippou or Kilala would have done it and I know Kagome was on the other side of the well. _He thought. _This is just Naraku playing mind games._

"We're not far from the forest." Inuyasha said. "We should at least see if there's any trace of her there."

They hadn't been in the creepy forest long when Inuyasha picked up the scent of ash. He ran toward it and found himself in the middle of regrowing vegetation. He sniffed the ground. _This dirt is...THIS IS KIKYO!_ Inuyasha found and arrowhead on the ground and then gasped when he made his next discovery:

One of Miroku's sacred sutras lay beneath the tree.

It was burned around the edges, and fragile from rain, but it smelled of him. When the others caught up to Inuyasha, he was sitting on the ground, holding the sutra. He looked up at Miroku. "Miroku...why?" He whimpered.

**Review? Pwitty Pwease?**

**Next Chapter: Miroku's Shameful Alibi**

Special thanks to: Serasvictoria666, Jay Ficlover, madmiko, AngelBeautyLove, and Killer of Kikyo!

Serasvictoria666 – I'm not going to lie, I haven't made that part up yet. Will he figure it out on his own? Will Kagome break down and tell him? Naraku could too. Who knows?

Jay – When I read your review, I came -really- close to rewriting my story as parody, LOL. Thank you for the awesome review!

Madmiko -- I hope you enjoyed this chappie. I'm going to have most of the early chapters in two parts, showing what happened after she died and why it made coping harder.

AngelBeautyLove – Kilala can be spelled with either two r's or two l's. The closest corresponding phonetic is similar to our 'r' and 'l' slurred together, which is the cause for many asian people having a difficult time pronouncing words that contain either. As far as Inuyasha is concerned, I believe it's intended to be two l's because a translation mistake surely would have been fixed before 167 episodes and four movies.


	3. The Second Betrayal of Inuyasha

**Chapter 3 – The Second Betrayal of Inuyasha **

**Six Months Earlier -- Then**

"How much longer do I have to stay here?" Kagome asked.

"Three more days." Sesshomaru said.

"How old are you?" Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru growled. This was Day Number Three of Kagome's endless questions. She was like Rin, constantly babbling, only larger and less cute. Although, in exchange for irritating him, he had managed a few coherent discussions with his brother's strange miko friend. "936." He replied.

"What's the deal with this forest?" Kagome asked. "Why are there so many demons in it?"

"It is a sacred demonic mating ground." Sesshomaru said.

"Is that what you were doing here?" Kagome asked, almost giggling when he seemed to pale and shoot her one of his looks. "Guess not then."

"Are you infertile?" He snapped back.

"WHAT?" Kagome screeched. "You know damn well that isn't true. I know you demons can smell that stuff."

"Surely there is a reason you are unmated at your age." Sesshomaru said. "Most humans your age have several children."

Kagome turned around and crossed her arms. "In my time, girls my age focus on education and then have children later. Why are you unmated? At 936, you don't really have any excuses unless...you know."

"I know what?" Sesshomaru said.

"You are unable or unwilling to do so." Kagome replied.

In an instant, he was pinning her back to the wall, less than an inch from her face. "You challenge this Sesshomaru's masculinity?" He asked.

"Eeep!" Kagome squeaked. "Too close!" She tried to push him away, but he forced his lips down on hers in a forceful kiss. If he had been anyone else, Kagome might have bit his bottom lip off completely, but as it stood, she wasn't quite ready to die and simply sat there, terrified.

"Relax." He purred into her ear before claiming her mouth again. Kagome felt her lips move instinctively with his kiss and she reached out a hand to push him back. Sesshomaru grabbed her hand and held it as he deepened the kiss. The second Kagome moaned he let go and sat in front of her. "You were saying..."

Kagome felt like her cheeks had somehow lit themselves on fire. "You...you kissed me!"

"You challenged me to do so." Sesshomaru said. "And you did not hate it." In the back of his mind, he entertained the idea of taking his brother's pure miko, but then remembered she was but a human and frowned. "You are embarrassed of your arousal? How amusing."

"Stop it!" Kagome said. "Will you please just shut the hell up?" Her emotional instability started to make itself known again as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I feel ashamed that you did that to me."

"Liar." Sesshomaru said. "You feel shame because you enjoyed it and you feel that is unacceptable."

"It IS unacceptable." Kagome said, her head turned away, not looking at him. "This is all just...so wrong. You hate humans, I don't like you, and we just killed Kikyou. I've never even dreamed anything this screwed up. We killed someone, you idiot!"

Sesshomaru chuckled. "If anger and lust were transposed in human culture, you would be one patient whore." He said. "Humans believe in silly things like soul mates and 'true love,' and you feel you cannot let your flesh have pleasure without shame unless it is in the name of two fake concepts. Arranged marriages between demons work for centuries because of the nature of the flesh and soul, not some silly commitment to an emotion that will fade with time."

"Can you please go back to not speaking?" Kagome asked.

Before she could react, the cave fell silent again, and once again, she found her lips taken by Sesshomaru. He wasn't entirely sure WHY he was doing what he was, but she had grown on him over the past two days, and he enjoyed keeping her on the edge. He trailed kisses down her jaw as she she sat totally still. "You have killed a woman, hidden from Inuyasha, and kissed his brother...no reason to stop there."

"GET OFF!"

"Give in." Sesshomaru whispered. "What happens in the cave..."

"Stays in the cave." Kagome said, as she shivered. The blood was pumping through her body so fast and so hard she could barely think, but she still felt the cold when he moved away from her. The situation had gone so far past out of hand, she didn't really see how it could get worse. She did know that the soul-shattering guilt made its way to the back of her mind when Sesshomaru touched her. It didn't matter anymore. If anyone found out what else she had done with Sesshomaru, one night wouldn't matter.

Kagome took another step away from Inuyasha.

**Six Months Later -- Now**

"Inuyasha, it's not what it looks like!" Miroku said.

Kagome jumped up to defend him. "There's no way Miroku would have been in a place like this!"

Inuyasha was hung at some point between breaking down into tears and murdering Miroku, although considering that it was Naraku who sent them to this spot, he could stand to listen to the explanation offered.

"That's not true, Kagome." Miroku said. "I was here that night, at this very spot, but the area was already burned."

Inuyasha snapped at Miroku. "So you lied about going to visit Mushin, who is fifty fucking miles away? What else are you lying about?"

"Inuyasha, please." Sango said. "We can't let Naraku's mind games get to us. Lets just let Miroku explain himself."

Miroku nervously pulled on his collar. "At the heart of the forest, there's a house where a lot of demoness women live. I went to visit them."

"So you were here because you went to a whorehouse?" Inuyasha asked. "Why were you using sutras on prostitutes?"

Kagome looked around, and noticed something. _This isn't where Kikyou died. The soil and clay dust were planted here by Miroku's sacred sutra. But I can't exactly tell anyone that now, can I?_ By her estimation, they were about a mile from the actual place where Kikyou died. Sesshomaru had been careful to completely purge the scene of evidence.

Sango started to walk away, hiding the disappointment on her face. "Houshi...you don't even know." She said.

"Hang on, Sango, listen!" Miroku said. "I was put under a spell, and I did go to visit Mushin after I was here because the demoness that lured me here was none other than Naraku in disguise. He tried to rip my wind tunnel open!"

Inuyasha looked around at the trees and saw one of them had a unique indentation. "Sango...is that a Hiraikotsu scar?"

Sango blushed and crossed her arms. "I was here the day after the fire. I was attacked, and I tracked my attacker back to this place."

Kagome's mind went back to the cave. _"Your companions are not looking for you, are they?"_ At the time, she thought that meant none of them were in the area or looking for them. Was it possible Sesshomaru had seen them each lured into the forest?

"What attacked you?" Kagome asked.

"Kikyou." Sango said. "Naraku has to be lying about Kikyou dying that night because I saw her the next day.

Kagome gasped. _What kind of game is this? _"Are you sure it was Kikyou? It could have been Naraku posing as Kikyou." She commented before she caught herself. _Why wouldn't someone think it's Kikyou? Only someone who knew she was dead would suspect that what Sango saw wasn't Kikyou. _Kagome felt a chill run down her spine as she came to a terrible realization. _Naraku is toying with me, not Inuyasha._ "Inuyasha, this is all some stupid thing Naraku did, let's just leave." _Sesshomaru and I killed the real Kikyou. What Sango saw must have been Naraku in disguise._

Inuyasha sat back on his ankles. "You guys...I need a few days, okay?" The dirt ran through his fingers as Inuyasha realized that he was holding a part of Kikyou. Maybe it was better that she finally rest, but what would become of his promise to her? Inuyasha looked at Kagome as they left him alone and a pang of sadness hit him. How had she drifted so far from his heart?

"We should head back to Kaede's village." Sango said. "This plot of Naraku's to turn Inuyasha on us was such a failure. He underestimated our trust of one another."

"Indeed." Miroku said. "I find it strange he did not involve Kagome in any way. Considering his past with Kikyou, it seems like Naraku would try to turn Inuyasha and Kagome on each other."

Sango shrugged. "Maybe he knew he couldn't break their trust."

Kagome pretended to be asleep in Kilala. Or dead. Whichever they'd believe first. Naraku knew and Kagome had no idea how he was going to use it to turn she and her friends against each other. The situation had suddenly changed from silence carrying the implication that Naraku can toy with she and her companions, or telling Inuyasha, which would still end up in either him or his brother dying.

As soon as she got back to the village, she went for a walk alone in the forest. With Inuyasha away, he would come...he always did. _I need to tell him about Naraku._ She said, knowing she had other reasons for wanting to see him. _How on earth did things get this bad? _She thought as Sesshomaru appeared in front of her. Sesshomaru was her distraction, her lifeline, and the only reason she could put up with herself.

_I'm doing this because I love him._

_I'm starting to wonder who it is that I mean when I think that._

_**Pwitty Pwease Review!**_

Special thanks to: AngelBeautyLove, Jay Ficlover, Sesshoukinbelongstome, and supersillee06!

Jay – Agreed. Kikyou's time has come and gone, it's definitely time for the Inukag plot to move forward. I think I would have liked her character a lot better if she had a different disposition. I find it hard, if not impossible, to believe a priestess that healed this sick actually acted and felt like that.


	4. The Jig is Up!

**Chapter 4 – The Jig Is Up!**

**Six Months Ago - Then**

Sesshomaru watched the sleeping creature in his arms and asked himself WHY he had felt so compelled to touch her in the first place. It wasn't that he knew her heart belong to Inuyasha, or because he felt any unbeatable lust to have her. He'd met more beautiful, smarter, sexier women. He'd taken many a demoness to his bed. There was something about Kagome that appealed to him in the same manner that Rin did, although on an entirely different level.

Kagome was honest about her emotions. She screamed when she was angry, she cried when she was sad, and she didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with it. It was the same way with Rin. Being with Kagome in the way he had was like leaping into a typhoon and riding the storm into its still center, the only place there was any peace. His demon senses picked up on her anger and lust, and the times she couldn't really tell the difference and didn't care anyway. The older he got, the less he felt, less often. He rarely became mad, or sad, or anything for that matter. But being with Kagome sent shockwaves of emotion through him.

He casually drug a claw over her skin. Her body was far from perfect, especially compared to that of a demoness. Every imperfection seemed to have a small piece of the story of her life sealed up, from the scar where the jewel was torn from her body to the freckles that randomly appeared on her arms, telling him she'd spent a lot of time in the sun.

Under the security of their secrecy, he watched Kagome explore an animalistic side he wasn't aware humans even possessed. She never spoke the entire time, except to say one word, and communicated only with touch, moans, and screams. He watched her transform from a girl who was ashamed of her own nudity to the wicked creature that slid in between his legs and did things to him that he would never have expected from the girl who he'd seen follow his brother around for so long.

Sesshomaru licked the wound on her shoulder and followed Kagome to sleep.

The next morning, he awoke to the smell of her tears as she stared at him in horror. "You...animal!" She screamed as she lunged at him. "Why did you do this?!" She roared as she slapped him in the face. He sat up and let the girl have her obligatory break down, scratching and hitting him for what 'he' had done to her. "You're not supposed to be like this!" She screamed in between blows.

Sesshomaru sat still as Kagome swung at him, screaming and crying. She was in pitiful sorts, and he grabbed her hands and looked right into her eyes. "Hush." He said, pulling her to his chest, where she simply collapsed. "Why are you crying?" He asked.

Kagome fisted her hands. "I hate you." She said. Sesshomaru looked down at her with a frown and she corrected herself. "I hate what I did."

"Why?" Sesshomaru asked. "Was I not gentle?"

She looked away from him. "Inuyasha was supposed to be my first. My only."

Sesshomaru brushed through her tangled hair with his claws. "You could have asked me to stop."

"But I didn't. I chose to ruin my own dream." Kagome said.

Sesshomaru arched his brows, perplexed by Kagome. "I wasn't aware dreams intended to enslave their owners."

Kagome closed her eyes. "Sesshomaru, why did YOU want to sleep with me?"

He narrowed his eyes. "I did not wish to 'sleep' with you. I wished to engage in sexual intercourse with you."

"Why?" Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru stared in the other direction. "I do as I please, and it pleased me to do so."

"That wasn't my question." Kagome said. "You don't get to do that."

"I find your presence to be pleasant." Sesshomaru said.

Kagome sighed and rested in his lap. "It didn't mean anything."

Sesshomaru touched her face. "Kagome...I do not engage in pointless lustful sex. I offered my affections and you accepted." He sighed and stood up, leaving her on the ground. "I will take you home today, so you can spent time with your family."

He looked over to Kagome as she dressed, noting how less than a day ago she'd been absolutely petrified by the thought of him seeing her naked. Thanks to the fact he licked her wounds clean the night she got them, all but the wound on her shoulder had disappeared from her skin and that one would be gone by morning. There would be no trace of what happened, other than their own memories.

Sesshomaru knew, even then, that he'd never be able to stay away from the fiery little miko. His father might have found the situation funny if it had occurred in a different way, and if she was a different girl. The truth was, he'd killed one of the two women his brother had ever loved and taken the innocence of the other. There was something dishonorable about it, even if it was Inuyasha.

**Six Months Later – Now**

Inuyasha leaned on the tree and drifted off to sleep. Sometimes, if he was near certain scents when he fell asleep, he'd dream about them. He wanted to see her just one last time, and then...never again. It wasn't that he didn't understand what people said about the situation, because he did. It was everyone else that didn't understand him.

When he was seven, Inuyasha's mother died, leaving him a hanyou orphan. He spent the next century-and-a-half absolutely alone. There were many nights he barely survived, whether due to cold, hunger, or wounds he received because the father he never met and his dead mother weren't the same species. It was a miserable way to exist, and the only reason he hadn't ended it was because he was scared to die alone.

And then came Kikyou.

Kikyou reached out to him, loved him, and gave his life a purpose. As a hanyou, there were things in life he thought he would never be allowed to feel, and Kikyou let him experience them. Love, warmth, happiness...and that first life-changing kiss. When her lips touched his, everything he had lived through became worth it, just for that moment.

His sleep brought back a long-forgotten memory.

**Flashback**

Inuyasha ran and caught a screaming child as she feel from Goshinboku. He put her down and glared at Kikyou. "Does that brat have to follow us everywhere?" He was referring to Kaede, Kikyou's younger sister. He couldn't stand her. Kaede pulled on his ears, followed them everywhere, and always seemed to get into trouble.

"Run along Kaede." Kikyou said as she smiled at him. "You don't like children?"

"Not when I want to be alone with you." Inuyasha said. "I hate them then. A lot."

He felt her fingers brush against his, then mingle with his own as she took his hand. "When you become human, and come to live with me, do you think we'll have children?"

Inuyasha blushed. "You know, I never really thought about it before. I guess...yeah, I would." It was one of the many things he told himself he'd never, ever have, being the product of love and intimacy. And for a century-and-a-half, he'd thought no one would ever want to be with him. Kikyou had given him love, friendship, and a promise to stay with him forever.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Kikyou asked, noticing his emotional state.

He hung his head. For a hanyou, this should have been out-of-reach. He had never even allowed himself to hope for such things. "It's hard to believe I'm finally going to be happy with you."

**End Flashback**

Inuyasha's eyes fluttered open, lined in tears. "Kikyou..."

_I didn't get to be happy with you._

Inuyasha understood well what people thought about his going after Kikyou. It was stupid, she was dead, she doesn't have a soul, and he wasn't going to deny that it was true. No one else could see it from his eyes. Those who talked about what a moron he was didn't know what it was like to wander the earth for span of several human lifetimes and never have anyone give a fuck if you lived or died.

He stood up and prepared to walk away from Kikyou for the last time. Inuyasha's ears went back and he let his tears fall. "What we almost had..." He bit his lip and refused to finish the thought. "Goodbye, Kikyou."

Inuyasha ran all the way back to the village. He wanted to go do something. Anything. He just couldn't think about it right now. Through trees, a meadow, a rocky riverbed...he just kept running until the village came into sight.

Inuyasha passed over Kagome, who was walking back from the forest. He dropped out of the trees. "Kagome..." Inuyasha was going to say something when his nose picked up on a tell-tale smell. At first, he didn't want to believe it, and his mind dismissed it as some sort of sensory malfunction. When he started sniffing the air, Kagome's expression turned to guilt and fear.

Not far away, Sesshomaru awoke to find Kagome gone, probably on her way back to the village. Her scent still lingered in the air, along with another strange scent...he dressed as he raced toward Kagome, hoping to get to her before his brother did.

Inuyasha's hands were shaking and he looked up at her with an expression she'd never seen before and could live without seeing again. _Oh god, I must not have gotten Sesshomaru's scent off me._ She thought. "I was taking a walk alone and--"

"Stop." Inuyasha said. "You're not bloody or injured anywhere, are you?" _Maybe she was taken by force. But she looks okay..._

"No, I'm fine." Kagome said. "Inuyasha, why are you acting so strangely?"

He growled and snapped back at her. "Why are you lying to me?!" Inuyasha saw her fearful expression and lightly pushed her backward, making her fall on her bottom. He was about to speak, and demand to know who she'd seen when he heard his name called.

"Inuyasha." Sesshomaru said.

Kagome felt her heart start to race. _I must have done something wrong. He found out._

Inuyasha turned to Sesshomaru, then back to Kagome. Kagome watched his horrified expression as the pieces fell in place. "You...you fucked him? We find out Kikyou is dead and the first thing you do is go out and fuck my brother?" He reached out for her and nearly shook her. "How long has this been going on?!"

"Inuyasha, let me go. You're scaring me!" Kagome said.

Inuyasha suddenly fell to his knees and clawed into the ground. "Three people attended and only two walked away alive. One was Kikyou, one was your enemy, and the last is one of your companions that travels with you even as we speak. Killing Kikyou was only the first of many betrayals committed against you." He said, repeating Naraku. Kagome reached out to comfort him and Inuyasha hissed, but leaned into her hand anyway.

Kagome put her hands on his face and made him look at her. "Inuyasha, it was an accident. You have to believe me, we didn't intend for it to happen."

"I always trusted you, Kagome. Until now." Inuyasha said.

Inuyasha pulled away from her and turned on Sesshomaru. His voice was calm, sad, and didn't portray any of the rage Kagome had expected from him. "You threw me out into a world that hated me, you terrorized me, beat me, allowed me to starve, allowed demons to assault me, and have treated me like shit since the day I was born." He stood up and looked Sesshomaru right in the eyes. "You killed the first woman I ever loved and stole the other."

Sesshomaru simply watched his brother as he spoke. It was all true. He had other things to worry about though. "You wish to fight."

"I'd throw my sword away, transform, and rip you to shreds if I could." Inuyasha said. "I think you know why I won't."

Kagome put her hand over her mouth. "All this time, I thought you'd kill each other. You don't want to fight him?"

"If you had told me then, I would have. But this is now, and I can't." Inuyasha said. He noticed her confused expression. "You don't get it, do you?"

"No?" Kagome said.

Inuyasha turned to the girl that he'd loved for years. "You're pregnant. Have a happy fucking life."

**Review Pwease? **

Special thanks to: Angelbeautylove, Jay Ficlover, xo-stargurl-ox, amyln, supersillee06, madmiko, sexysoxy, misstress of the flames, sesshoukunbelongstome, killer of kikyo, mangadreams, and serasvictoria666!

Author's Note: This is a SesKag story. I'd love to respond to you guys at length in my chapters, but I had a story on my old account deleted because I responded to reviewers too much. Ah, well, I love you all, my reviewers are awesome!


	5. Youkai Choice

**Chapter 5 – Youkai Choice**

Kagome's eyes flew open in shock. "I'm p-p-" She looked up at Sesshomaru. _Please let this be some kind of mistake. Please. Not this, not now!_ Sesshomaru's expression was unreadable, more emotional than normal yet still solid. _Why had he come?_ "You can smell it. I really am. Oh god..." She made a break for the well, and Sesshomaru followed.

"Kagome." His voice brought her to a stop. She turned and he was standing right behind her, and she fell into his embrace. There were times she hated how cold and quiet he could be, and the many times she had compared him to stone. He was also sometimes the rock she leaned on.

"I need to be alone for awhile." Kagome said as she pulled away from him and went down the well. _Really, I need to talk to Mom. I'm in so far over my head right now._ "I'll be back in the morning, I guess."

Sesshomaru nodded as she leapt into the well and then went to find his brother, who was sitting under Goshinboku. Inuyasha looked like he'd been crying, and held a defeated expression as he rested. "How did it happen?" He asked as he closed his eyes.

Sesshomaru sat next to him and debated telling him the entire story. _I could lie and take the blame for this, but that isn't what Kagome wants. She's wanted to be free from this lie since the second she decided to tell it._ He told Inuyasha how Kagome had come back and been snatched by the hawk youkai, then saved by Kikyou, who attempted to steal her jewel shards. Inuyasha simply sat and listened to Sesshomaru, noting mentally it was the first time Sesshomaru had ever really spoken to him in his entire life.

When Sesshomaru finished talking about Kikyou's death and their actions taken to cover it up, he felt anger flare up in Inuyasha, who didn't so much as stand up or move at all. Sesshomaru frowned at his brother. "I would have killed Kikyou intentionally anyway when I knew I cared for Kagome. She is my mate. Protecting her means killing those who would benefit from her death."

"Do you know how much I want to kill you right now?" Inuyasha asked, his attitude seeming subdued.

"I have some idea." Sesshomaru replied. "Why is it that you do not wish to fight me?"

"You're an idiot, Sesshomaru." Inuyasha said. "Does this situation remind you of anything? An inuyoukai impregnating a human woman? If I kill you, that pup is no different than me."

Sesshomaru didn't move or respond to Inuyasha for awhile. "You have no right to blame me for your losing her. Regardless of my presence in her life, you would be without her love now. In fact, without my interference, she would be dead, torn to bits in the Youkai Forest. You'd be kissing that clay abomination of a woman."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Inuyasha snapped. Inuyasha glared at Sesshomaru. "Kagome deserves better than you."

"Perhaps." Sesshomaru said. "What makes you think you're better?"

Inuyasha stood up and growled at his brother. "I was wondering how long it would be before you blamed my human blood for this."

"That was not what I was implying, although your human blood is undoubtedly responsible for your idiocy." Sesshomaru said.

"We're done." Inuyasha said.

After walking about fifteen feet, Sesshomaru spoke again. "Why do you think your youkai never took control of you before you were sealed to that tree?"

"You know something you aren't telling me." Inuyasha said.

"Your youkai chose Kagome. I saw it myself, Inuyasha. She was always the one who could tame you in that state, and that right belongs solely to the person the youkai trusts as his mate." Sesshomaru said. "The transformations did not start until your human side started to cause her pain with Kikyou."

Inuyasha thought back to the very first time he transformed. A week before, Kikyou assaulted Kagome and stole the jewel shards they had gathered. Then, she was hurt again, in the first fight with Naraku's incarnations, which were born because of the stolen shards. Finally, he promised Kikyou his life. When Tessaiga slipped out of his grasp...his youkai came alive. Goshinki had been ripped to shreds, and his mind was this strange mass of joy, until he heard Kagome's voice. His youkai side was so violent though. "My youkai would make me kill for no reason."

"Not likely. You have killed humans before, but those humans posed a threat to Kagome. Her subjugation command should have broken the beads when your youkai was in control. You submitted yourself to her, because your youkai identified her as your mate." Sesshomaru said. "I doubt any of this is truly new information for you. Regardless, it is irrelevant now. You have lost her, due to your own actions. You are foolish."

Inuyasha looked down at the ground. "Why would my youkai choose Kagome over Kikyou? They are...the same. The same soul."

Sesshomaru sighed. "Your youkai was likely highly averse to your promise to go to hell with Kikyou. Your youkai wants love, comfort, companionship, mating, pups, and satisfaction. Kagome is capable of providing all those things. Kikyou was not."

"How come my demon side isn't making me want to kill you?" Inuyasha asked. "It's restraining me. I feel it."

"Your youkai let go of her when you smelled the scent of her unborn. Inuyoukai are honorable creatures, we do not pursue the mates of others and we do not injure pack members, especially when they are vulnerable." Sesshomaru said. He watched his little brother, feeling a slight twinge of regret. Their father had taught Sesshomaru everything about mating and youkai, but Inuyasha was still thinking and living a human's life. Regardless, the human in him is the reason she had stopped loving him.

With a single clap of thunder, rain started to pour. Inuyasha sat down next to his brother again and both of them just sat in silence as they were quickly drenched. Inuyasha looked at his brother, trying to read his actions. If he didn't care about Kagome, he'd simply leave. Or, if he just wanted her pup, he'd drag her off and not let her leave his house for nine months. If he didn't want the pup, he'd either kill Kagome or disappear from the situation entirely. "Sesshomaru, in my whole life, you've never really talked to me before. Why now?"

"I no longer have the right to hate you for existing." Sesshomaru replied. "This Sesshomaru is no hypocrite." His own pup would be hanyou, the same as Inuyasha. As they sat there, he remembered the comparison Inuyasha had made between their father and Sesshomaru. If he died, what would happen to Kagome? He already knew the answer to that question, because he'd seen and been the cause of the intense misery Inuyasha's mother was subjected to because of who she chose to love.

Inuyasha looked at his brother, who seemed to be in a thoughtful daze. "Do you love her?" He blurted out. His brother didn't answer, but Inuyasha saw him move his hand to his heart briefly.

"My youkai chose her." Sesshomaru said.

Inuyasha was about to accuse him of not loving her when he remembered what Sesshomaru had just told him. "_Your youkai wants love, comfort, companionship, mating, pups, and satisfaction." That's what he wants from Kagome, her love. And youkai mates do everything equally, even if the male is dominant. Sesshomaru loves Kagome. That's why he's here._

On the other side of the well, Mrs. Higurashi was rubbing Kagome's back as she laid on her bed, her face buried in a tear soaked pillow. Her daughter had come back upset before, but she'd never seen her in such a state before. Kagome had practically crashed through the door and into her arms, sobbing. As more and more time went by, she knew Kagome's life slowly moved with her heart to the world that existed on the other side of the well. She was also well aware of the fact that Kagome was in danger a lot. _This was all a mistake. I shouldn't have let her return after she came home the first time._ She thought.

Mrs. Higurashi had no clue about what her daughter had been keeping from Inuyasha, or about her frequent visits to his brother. The fact that Kagome would keep such a thing from her initially infuriated her, since the only reason Kagome had ever been allowed to go back was on trust. She had trusted Kagome to act at least a little responsibly, and having unprotected sex for six months violated that trust.

_What is it like over there? What did Kagome feel when she was there?_ As she ran her hands through her daughter's hair, she tried to fathom the circumstances she lived in. On the other side of the well, her life was frequently put in danger, and Kagome was forced into circumstances she couldn't even begin to understand, like wedge between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. She threw a blanket over Kagome and turned out the lights as she went downstairs for a cup of tea. It was going to be a long night.

She heard the door open and a very wet Inuyasha walked in, his ears flat on his head. "Hey."

"Hello, Inuyasha." Mrs. Higurashi said. "Kagome has just fallen asleep."

Inuyasha looked at the woman and noticed she'd been crying. "Kagome told you, huh?" He sat down at the table.

"I'm very sorry, Inuyasha." She said. "I had no idea Kagome was capable of such...duplicity." The hanyou looked extremely heartbroken, but had a strange sense of peace and calm about him, which was very unlike the vibrant hothead she was used to. "I don't know what to do with her."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome's mother, studying her. He'd seen her concern for Kagome, as well as a pretty wide variety of moods, but he had never seen her seem so angry with her daughter. "I came to talk to her, then take her home."

"Home." Mrs. Higurashi said, the word stinging like fire.

Inuyasha wasn't sure what to say to her, so he didn't reply. He went upstairs and opened the door, then closed it behind him and sat on the edge of the bed beside her. "Kagome..."

Kagome rolled over. "Inuyasha. I'm sorry."

"I'm not mad anymore." He said. "And Sesshomaru and I aren't going to fight when you come back."

"It really was an accident." Kagome said, rolling over.

Inuyasha cautiously reached for her and gently touched her stomach. "Sesshomaru would have killed her when he realized he loved you anyway, which is why I'd kill him if you weren't...you know."

Kagome thought quietly and took his hand into hers. "You're afraid that people will treat me like they treated your mother."

"You'll need someone to protect you until you die." Inuyasha said. He knew what people would say about Kagome. They would act like her child was the product of some sick bestial fantasy, and cast her away from society. They would accuse her of bedding a monster, and blame the innocent creature growing in her womb for everything. And then, they'd teach their children the same hate, so the pup could share in her misery.

Inuyasha thought about everything Sesshomaru had said to him. "I'm sorry, Kagome."

"For what?" Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru may have understood the demon half of what had transpired, but Inuyasha knew what happened to truly sever his tie to Kagome. There were things that he should have given her that he never did. He had protected her with his life, but that wasn't enough. With all that Kikyou had done, he couldn't really blame her anymore.

"Everything." Inuyasha said. "I think...we can finally just be friends, with nothing else in between us."

She nodded. "I feel so relieved right now, but still, so scared. You guys didn't kill each other, and I don't have to keep all these terrible secrets from you. I felt horrible lying to you. Now though, I'm so scared. I'm not ready to have a baby."

"I don't really think your mom is the one you should be talking to about that." Inuyasha said.

Kagome sat up and hugged him. "Thank you, Inuyasha." She said. "I'm ready to go back."

* * *

**Please Review!**

Killer of Kikyo – Sorry I wasn't clear on that. They've been sneaking off for the whole six months. Kagome's a bad girl!

Rhetorical-Ducky – I know, poor Inuyasha. He'll get over it though!

AngelBeautyLove – There will be more Kagome/Sesshomaru action in the next chapter!

Serasvictoria666 – The story will have two more chapters, as well as an epilogue.

misstress of the flames – Yeah, yeah, but it's fun to abuse Inuyasha!

Xo-stargurl-ox – Glad you enjoyed! I think that was pretty much the climax of the story, but there are a few surprises thrown in. :)

supersillee06 – Woot! I hope you like this chapter too!

The Painted Lady – Well, I'm flattered by the compliment, but I did throw in someone getting knocked up and someone else smelling it nearly immediately. I think that's a pretty big cliché in the Inuyasha Fic World. Ah well, I still love it. :P

Jay FicLover – Of course she is. I got a quote from me sources at the Naraku News Network. "This Sesshomaru does not use protection."

mangadreams – Yay! I'm glad you like it so far, hope I don't disappoint. :)

**Thanks for all the reviews!**

AN: I have a new story posted up called 'Vertically Challenged,' in which Sesshomaru shrinks Kagome down to four inches tall. I'd love it if you guys could check it out and let me know what you think so far!


	6. Marked

**Chapter 6 -- Marked**

Far away from Kaede's village, Naraku sat in front of Kanna's mirror, watching the events between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru unfold. He had used his knowledge of Kagome to cause stress for Inuyasha and the others, and had no doubt that when he did find out about Sesshomaru, either one or both of his biggest threats would be removed. In his more imaginative dreams, Inuyasha would kill his brother and then be injured and weak enough for him to step on like some sort of insect. What he had not expected was for the two to suddenly find common ground for the first time in well...ever. _Fact one: Sesshomaru killed Kikyou. Fact Two: Sesshomaru has impregnated Kagome behind Inuyasha's back. Fact three: Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are getting along. What. The. Fuck._

Naraku had faced them at the same time once before, and knew that if Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were allies, his life was more or less over. One brother was bad enough, but both were unstoppable. He needed to take away the thing that had brought them together – Kagome's pregnancy.

"Kanna, find Kagura. I have work for you both. You are to find Inuyasha, and wound him. Kill him if you can. Just make sure he bleeds. Understood?" Naraku said. He walked over to a cabinet and removed a tiny vial of potion he had made to hide himself from Kikyou the year before. It had confused her miko senses and prevented her from seeing the sacred jewel.

He took Sesshomaru's form and looked in the mirror. "My, my, Sesshomaru. You are about to commit an unspeakable act." Naraku laughed and left his castle. "Sesshomaru and Inuyasha won't soon forget this night."

Back at the village, Sesshomaru saw Inuyasha emerge from the forest with Kagome. She was on Inuyasha's back, half-asleep. He took her to Kaede's hut and laid her down. "I guess we should let her sleep. Looks like she's had a crappy day." Inuyasha said. "Where is everyone?"

Sesshomaru didn't respond, his gaze fixated on Kagome.

"Look, I think I'm going to go off for a few days and be alone. I feel restless. Tell everyone I'll be back soon, okay?" Inuyasha said.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru shared a quick glance. Inuyasha was hurt and broken, and Sesshomaru was taking the woman he loved. Inuyasha had been lied to, and kept in a state of misery for months while Sesshomaru and Kagome were sneaking off and sleeping together. He wasn't sure what he was was going to do, or how he was going to get over everything that had happened, but he'd somehow managed to salvage something he had wanted all of his life. For the first time in Inuyasha's life, things were right between him and his brother.

When Inuyasha left, Sesshomaru pulled Kagome into his arms and let her sleep resting against his chest. With Inuyasha settled down and Kagome back in his arms, he could finally do some thinking about his own situation. He could smell the dried tears on her cheeks when he kissed her hair.

Sesshomaru thought back to the first time he realized he truly loved her. It had been about a month after the first time they slept together. When they first started seeing each other, it was some sort of lust and guilt driven sexual affair, but it slowly changed into something a lot more than that. When he caught her trying to go home for a few days and took her deep into the forest for a little relaxation of his own, he walked away from the event with a mind-blowing revelation about himself.

It had been cold, and Kagome snuggled up to him for warmth. He didn't think there was anything more beautiful than her smile, so he'd told her a story about Rin making Jaken play dress up, which made her giggle. Kagome leaned over and kissed him right on the end of his nose, then smiled at him. One thought went through his head at that moment. _I'm in love with this woman!_

Sesshomaru smiled and kissed her softly, so she wouldn't awaken. He could finally take her to his home, and mark her.

_Inuyasha's blood?_ Sesshomaru thought as the scent hit his nose, _He just left, that means whatever it is must be close._ He put Kagome back on the floor and covered her in a blanket, then raced off to investigate. Naraku, disguised as Sesshomaru entered the hut immediately after he left and sat down beside Kagome.

_Well, well, Kagome, once again we meet, and once again, you believe I am your beloved Sesshomaru._ Naraku thought. Before he knew what he was doing, he laid down beside her and began to kiss her, which woke her up. Kagome made a slight moan and kissed him back.

What Kagome and the others were completely unaware of is that quite often, the man she slipped off to lay with wasn't Sesshomaru at all, but Naraku in disguise. Naraku chuckled at her the first time he'd done it. He hadn't been sure he'd get away with trying to impersonate Sesshomaru in bed, but all she did was make some comment about his mood and then take him into her mouth. Then, she'd gone to a stream and scrubbed every bit of his scent off of her, effectively hiding his presence from Inuyasha.

Naraku looked down at her and grinned. _Such a stupid girl._

"I love you." Kagome said.

"I love you, too." Naraku replied, running his hand under her shirt. Her skin was fragile but silky under his hands. He started to undress her and she complied, totally unaware of what was happening to her. Naraku a fierce internal battle between his intention, which was to end Kagome's pregnancy, and Onigumo, who lusted after Kagome's flesh.

"Kagome, may I mark you?" He asked. "We do not have to hide anymore."

Kagome looked right up at him and nodded, so he laid her down, and bit into the flesh of her neck. "Mine." He whispered as he kept a hand over her mouth.

Outside of the hut, Shippou was walking toward the source of the noise, unsure about what was actually going on. He could hear Kagome moaning softly. _Is she having a nightmare?_ He thought. He was about three steps from entering when Naraku's scent hit him. Shippou's heart started to pound in his chest, and he sniffed for Inuyasha or Sesshomaru. _They're too far away. Naraku is hurting Kagome! She's done everything for me, I won't just stand by and let this happen!_ Shippou summoned every ounce of courage in his little body and rushed in. "Get off her, NARAKU!"

Kagome recognized the voice, but it was with the wrong body. And while Kagome noticed this, Naraku did not, fleeing as fast as he could at the sight of Inuyasha, who happened to be sporting a fluffy little fox tail.

"KAGOME!" Shippou screamed, changing back to himself and jumping into her arms. "I was so scared!"

Kagome pulled the blanket up around her and touched the mark on her neck. The man she was just having sex with was Naraku, not her beloved Sesshomaru. And the way he touched her was so similar to the ways Sesshomaru sometimes did..._That wasn't the first time he's done that!_ Her mind screamed. _What if this baby isn't even Sesshomaru's? What if it is...no, anything but that._

Elsewhere, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were dodging attacks from Kagura, who inadvertently changed the direction of the wind with her next attack.

:Sesshomaru froze in place. _Naraku's scent...it is coming from the direction of the village!_ "Inuyasha, this was a trap to lure us away!"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he hit Kagura with the Wind Scar and abandoned her. Sesshomaru followed, but arrived at the village first, only to find his love had been marked by his worst enemy.

When Sesshomaru tried to hold her, she shrank back and screamed, clutching her neck. "What's happening to her?" Inuyasha asked.

"Sango." Sesshomaru commanded, his voice icy. "Dress that wound. She has been marked by Naraku, and no other man may touch her without causing her severe pain, even through clothing." Were Kagome not suffering, he would have stormed out and tracked Naraku down, but as things stood, it was far more important that he stay by her side. He knew that Kagome might consider him leaving a rejection of her unwanted marking.

Sango and Kaede tended to the wound, which wasn't bad in and of itself, but it's consequences were going to be huge. _For who, I wonder? _Sango thought as she studied the demon. _He wants to hold her, but I don't think he realizes how much. He seems to ache for her._

"S-Sesshomaru, I'm afraid that isn't the first time he disguised himself as you. H-He did things that I knew from before." Kagome stuttered. "I'm afraid that it's his baby."

Inuyasha grunted. "Keh, don't be. You literally reek of Inuyoukai."

"You smell the same as Inuyasha's mother did." Sesshomaru said. "She is most definitely mine."

"She?" Kagome asked, catching his slip.

"Yes. She." Sesshomaru said. He looked around the room and growled. "Leave us." As everyone filed out of the hut, Sesshomaru stared at his love, feeling her fear and anger. He sat next to her, but didn't touch her.

"I don't want to have a baby." Kagome blurted out. Her hand grazed the bandages on her neck. "I don't want any of this."

"You would reject our child?" Sesshomaru asked, slightly confused. He was well aware that women of her era were more liberated in terms of gender roles, but he felt a slight spike of disgust at her words. In his eyes, the child was a reflection of their love and feelings for her and when she said she didn't want the pup, it felt like she was rejecting their relationship and him as well.

Kagome looked up at him. The look in her eyes said she was angry, but the fear building in her was nearly causing her to tremble. "I have a life away from you, on the other side of the well. There, girls just don't go out and have babies when they're seventeen!" _How will I ever make him understand this? He thinks I'm rejecting him, but I'm not it's just...not right now. I don't even belong in this time!_

"I would like to believe most of them do not do many of the things you do." Sesshomaru replied. "What would you do about your condition?" He said.

She sighed. "In my time, there's something called abortion, and a lot of women have them when they're not ready to have a baby."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed to slits. "I read your biology book, Kagome. You would have a human kill and tear our daughter from your womb?" _Can I really ask her? She does not wish for this, I can't imagine her compliance with me._

Kagome felt her heart stop. "...our daughter..." She bit down on her lip. There was something in Sesshomaru's eyes that pleaded with her, and Kagome found herself swimming in doubt. _He's right, it will technically end her life, but...I don't know what to think. Whatever I chose, I lose something. I honestly don't think he could stand to look at me if I did it. But if I don't...this will be my home._

"Sesshomaru, this mark can be undone, right?" Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru's eyes glanced at Tenseiga. "The type of demon Naraku is binds for life. When we kill Naraku, you will be free of his mark. However, you will also die, although I can remedy that."

"You could kill me now and resurrect me, right? And set me free?" Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru began to grind his teeth together. "I refuse. I may be capable of resurrecting you, but killing you would cost our pup her life. Perhaps in your world, such acts are acceptable, but I will not take part in such a barbaric act."

_So, Sesshomaru, 'The Killing Perfection,' is pro-life? Irony at it's best. _

_Then again, I hardly have my mind made up. Maybe I'm just looking for a quick way to put things back, and even I know nothing is ever going to be totally normal. _Kagome thought. "What do you think we should do?"

"I believe you should remain as you are until the pup is birthed. Then, we can destroy Naraku and I will resurrect you." Sesshomaru said.

Kagome cringed. "You're asking me to stay bound to Naraku for nine months to have a baby I'm not ready for? I can't. I won't."

Sesshomaru sighed, he seemed lost in a way. Kagome wanted to touch him, hug him, tell him they'd find a way to make everything okay. "You travel across the countryside, saving lives and helping people wherever you go. And yet, you would kill your own. Tell me something. If I had come to you and told you I intended to end your pregnancy because I do not wish for a hanyou child, what would you have thought of me?"

"That's a really stupid reason for wanting to--" Kagome started.

"Kill her?" Sesshomaru finished. "Your reasons or mine, the end result would be the same. I hardly think your reason for wanting to do so is truly somehow more legitimate. I did not take you once by force and I doubt you never realized this might happen."

"You think I'm some kind of monster." Kagome snapped. "I'm not, so stop acting like it! I'm scared, and I don't know what the right thing to do is!" What she wanted was for Sesshomaru to take her into his arms and calm her, but that was out of the question, thanks to Naraku's mark.

"Why are you afraid?" Sesshomaru asked softly. "You know I will always love you and protect you." His expression changed to something she had never seen before and he met her gaze with desperate, sad amber eyes. "Please...she is ours."

_I don't know what the right thing for me is. I could sit here all night and still be as lost as I am right now. The only thing that I do know is that I can't stand to see him like that again. Not now, not ever. I could care less about what is best for me; if I broke his heart I'd never be able to forgive myself. I love him, so we will do this. Together._

"Alright." Kagome said. "Let's have a baby."

Sesshomaru's lips turned up into a relieved smile. "Thank you, my love."

Sesshomaru hated what he was sentencing her to – nine months of living without his touch, despite the sacrifice she was making for him. _Even when she gives birth, I will not be able to hold her hand._ He thought as he watched her fall asleep. _I will set her free from that monster._

* * *

_**Please Review!**_

Special thanks to: supersillee06, Rhetorical-Ducky, ArizonaBay, Kags21, Jaymeeserenitytaylor05, misstress of the flames, spider rider 14, inferior, AngelBeautyLove, Serasvictoria666, Killer of Kikyo, avex, madmiko, Kaze datadrain, and Jay Ficlover! You guys are awesome, as always!

Author's Note: I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has been reviewing. I wasn't sure how well-received this story would be, since it is a little...weird, I guess. It's actually been somewhat hard to keep from tarnishing any of the characters in the story. And yes, I'm well aware that mentioning the word 'abortion' is like asking for a flame war, so please hear me out. The abortion rate is slightly higher than the US and European countries, and because of cultural differences (mainly, Japan didn't grow out of a Christian society like most western countries, even though those countries are now diverting from that), there is far less of a 'taboo' factor associated with it. I believe, that as a scared young Japanese female, that this is an option she might consider. Not necessarily do, but consider? Possibly. The inclusion of abortion as an alternative in the story is not intended to affect your view of the act. So please, be gentle on the flames.


	7. For Love

**Chapter 7 – For Love**

**Seven Months Later**

Kagome moaned and grasped the burning area of her neck. _Why does it have to hurt all the time? Waking, sleeping, day or night, it hurts, unless he's close..._ There was a disgusting side effect to her being marked that neither Sesshomaru or Inuyasha had expected – Kagome would frequently ache for Naraku's touch, calling out for him at night. She felt like her brain had been rewired and the only thing it craved was the depraved mind of the man who had assaulted her.

"Good morning." Sesshomaru said, standing at the end of Kagome's bed.

"Get out." Kagome barked.

It wasn't that she didn't enjoy Sesshomaru's hospitality, she simply didn't feel anything but contempt for him. He had pampered her at the massive Inu fortress, but denied her only two things the entire time during the previous five months. First, he forbade her from leaving the castle, knowing that her mark seemed to call her to Naraku, even going so far as causing her physical pain in attempt to rejoin her with her 'mate.' Second, she was not permitted to do anything that would harm the pup growing inside of her.

Soon after her arrival at the fortress months before, Kagome started to reject any form of affectionate words or gesture from Sesshomaru. Her anger soon turned on the pup, as the mating mark Naraku left seemed to allow some of his spiteful hatred for Sesshomaru into Kagome's mind. She would jump from intense maternal feelings to wanting to cut it right out of herself.

"How are you feeling?" Sesshomaru asked as he stepped closer. The inflamed, red area on her neck told him she would be hell to deal with today. He hated seeing her like this, and felt like some sort of animal, forcing her to stay with him when she made it so clear she would rather be with someone else. Even so, that 'someone else' was Naraku, and the only reason she craved him was because he assaulted her. It had been months since the girl had said anything remotely nice to him, since she viewed Sesshomaru as her captor.

Kagome didn't respond, and looked out the window. She shifted and scowled at her stomach. "It's moving." She said, annoyed. In the back of her mind, she could remember feeling nothing but love for the beautiful man staring down at her, but that feeling had simply vanished, and if she tired to recall it, that mark would remind her who she belonged to.

Sesshomaru felt a familiar dull ache, wanting to reach out and feel the baby kick. Rin had felt it many times and would describe it to him, but it was far from good enough. With the pup, he would never get to experience the feeling, and it was heartbreaking to him.

"I'm leaving for the day. You better be here when I return." Sesshomaru threatened, knowing she'd never be able to escape the guards. He needed to meet Inuyasha, who had been in hiding in Kagome's era for quite some time. Sesshomaru sprinted across tree branches and made haste to reach the Bone-Eater's Well, where he had met Inuyasha once a week for the past months.

When he arrived, the annoyed hanyou was sitting on the edge of the well. "Took you long enough." He snorted. "How is she?"

"The same." Sesshomaru said. "She should give birth in approximately eight weeks."

Inuyasha wearily looked around. _I can't get used to this. Every time I come here, I'm scared to death._ In the wake of Kagome's impregnation and attack, Inuyasha had undergone a change of his own. During all days and on every night except the full moon, he was human. After nearly being killed for what seemed to be the hundredth time, Sesshomaru shoved him down the well to the safety of Kagome's time and met him only once a week.

Sesshomaru studied his younger brother, contemplating the mystery of his humanity yet again. It was possible that Inuyasha's youkai sought to be free from his body, but it hadn't even once surged out of control while in his human state. He had some suspicion that his youkai had died from the unbearable prospect of continuing to live without its chosen mate. It wasn't entirely unheard of, and many Inu demons perished when their chosen became unattainable or dead. Since Inuyasha was only half-demon, he simply reverted to being a human.

"If Kagome will die when Naraku dies, does that mean...?" Inuyasha asked

Sesshomaru shook his head. "No, the Shikon Jewel would force his body to keep living. It would make him extremely vulnerable and possibly insane to the point of being unable to fight though."

"You wouldn't though, right?" Inuyasha cautiously asked. Were they really talking about killing Kagome to exploit the connection Naraku had made to her? Did it matter if she had to die anyway?

"It may be the only way to locate Naraku." Sesshomaru commented. "As soon as the pup is born, I want him dead."

Sesshomaru's attention shifted to a gash on the side of Inuyasha's face. "What happened to you? Were you attacked?"

Inuyasha grinned and touched the healing wound. "Sort of. There were these naked girls, they were rolling around in a huge pool of this weird stuff called jello, and they pulled me in. I accidentally got scratched by one of them."

"What was the purpose of this?" Sesshomaru asked.

"To embarrass me to death." Inuyasha replied.

In truth, being forced to live in Kagome's time had been just the thing he needed. The Higurashis had taken him in, letting him sleep in a guest bedroom. He went to her school, hung out with her friends, and bonded with her family. It made him feel sick in a way, because he was practically living Kagome's life, but it was also the most content he had felt in his entire life.

After staring at his brother for some time, Sesshomaru came to a realization. "You don't wish to return to your natural self." He stated.

Inuyasha hung his head. "If I do, I'll come back here and resume being alone for the rest of forever."

"Is there a girl there?" Sesshomaru asked.

"No." Inuyasha said. "But someday, there will be. Maybe." His eyes gazed over the forest, as if waiting for danger. "The girls in Kagome's time love me. On my birthday, I got a lap dance."

"Lap dance?" Sesshomaru asked, just as the meaning became clear to him. "Oh. I see. Was that also an embarrassing misadventure?"

"You have no idea." Inuyasha said. Sesshomaru felt his blood pump a little faster at the memory.

_If he changes back to being an irate hanyou, he'll lose all of this. The life he's building for himself, which he likes, his companions...everything. There is a world that accepts him and it isn't this one._ Sesshomaru thought, as he stared at the old well. There was something in Inuyasha's eyes that seemed guilty, and his older brother understood it completely. Inuyasha was happy, but felt guilty because of Kagome's problems. _But...he's happy. Who would have thought a family and friends would go so far to mend his broken soul?_

"I'm practically living the life she would have had if she didn't come here." Inuyasha said. "She's miserable, I'm happy. It's not fair."

Sesshomaru sighed. "Inuyasha, you of all people should know life isn't fair."

Inuyasha smiled. "Yeah, I was born with an abusive older brother." Sesshomaru let the comment slip, thinking instead about the boy he was looking at. He was a lot clumsier than the hanyou he knew, he smiled more, and he seemed to actually enjoy life. _I prefer his human side._ He thought.

"You are lucky to be kin to this Sesshomaru." He replied. Sesshomaru suddenly turned. "Go home, Brat." He said with a slight hint of teasing in his voice, shoving Inuyasha back down the well. One thing he wasn't interested in was beating himself up over making Inuyasha live in Kagome's time. Inuyasha was clearing having way more fun than he deserved.

The next few weeks passed miserably slow. Sesshomaru felt the crushing weight of the world on his shoulders, hunting for Naraku and trying to give some comfort to the girl who had once loved him with every ounce of her being. Enough to subject herself to this, even.

Then came the night he found himself sitting quietly beside her while she cried out in pain. Sesshomaru watched her stomach ripple and cringed at her screams. "You bastard, you'll pay for this!" She screamed. Her mind was filled with confusion, she felt what she was going through was akin to rape, and he was using her body to bear his pup, even though her heart cried for Naraku.

Sesshomaru saw a strange black shadow form under her skin where her mark was and Kagome started to jerk around. "I'll kill it!" She shrieked as she pushed. When her hands reached downward, Sesshomaru grabbed them and pinned her to the bed. "You're hurting me!" She cried out as the pain in her neck hit her.

A tiny, soft cry resonated through the room and Sesshomaru nearly went completely limp. He looked down at Kagome, and saw the fear and hate. With a flick of his wrist, her frightened heart stopped beating. He hated himself for it, even knowing he would undo it when his prey had fallen. Still, the sight of her lifeless body made him feel ill._ The things you've forced me to do, Naraku. You'll die for this. Soon._

Deep in the pits of Naraku's castle, the hanyou felt the force of Kagome's death. _That was a mistake. I should not have marked her. Binding my life to hers...that was foolish. It may have bought me nine months to do as I pleased, but now there's no reason to keep Kagome alive, since Sesshomaru can undo death so easily._ The pressure in his neck quickly decapitated him, his barrier fell, and the scent he had kept behind it escape and traveled on the wind, facilitated by a traitorous wind witch. But Naraku's choice to mark her wouldn't be what lead to his undoing. It was that the pup had been born on a full moon, the only night Inuyasha possessed his powers. And, unfortunately for Naraku, Inuyasha had a little business to take care of in feudal Japan.

Back at the fortress, Sesshomaru was brought out of his angry daze by the sound of a voice. "Lord Sesshomaru?"

He turned to the midwife, who handed him a fluffy bundle. "Her name?"

"Not yet." Sesshomaru said, examining the pup. He gasped as he looked at her. She was a tiny little girl, with silky silver hair and two dog ears sitting atop her head. "Her hands and feet are so tiny." He commented in wonder as he looked at her fingers and toes. One of her hands gripped his finger and held on, making her father smile. _She'll be strong._ She had some of his markings, a crescent moon on her forehead and magenta lines up her arms and legs. As much as he wanted to hold her for the rest of the night, he had a very limited amount of time to kill Naraku and resurrect Kagome. If she was dead more than a day, Tenseiga wouldn't work. "I'll be back soon." He said, gently kissing her forehead.

On a mountain not far from the fortress, a silver-haired Inuyasha stood with his arms crossed. "Totosai, can't you do something about the barrier on Tessaiga?"

"No, you fool!" Totosai replied. "Why are you so anxious to let Sesshomaru handle it. You'll never get it back."

Inuyasha growled. "That's the point."

Totosai stopped and stared intently at the hanyou for some time. "Why didn't I see it before, your youkai is dead! How did that happen?"

"I think...I killed it. Who gives a damn?" Inuyasha said. Inuyasha had figured that much out by then. Even on the full moon, his emotions were his human emotions. Any trace of his demonic personality seemed to have vanished completely.

"Are you happy living as a human, Inuyasha?" Totosai asked.

_What is with all these people? Is it really that hard to understand?_ Inuyasha thought. "What makes me happy isn't any of your business. I am not going to be using this sword. I want Sesshomaru to have it."

At that moment, two things happened to the aggravated hanyou. First, the beads around his neck snapped and broke, rolling everywhere. Second, the stench of Naraku hit him like a truck. Totosai, who didn't seem to take note of either of these things, rolled his eyes. "All you have to do is give it to him, baka!"

Inuyasha only picked up his words because his demonic hearing allowed him to. _Does that mean...she's dead? This was the plan though, I think. We have to hurry, or Kagome won't be free in time to be resurrected._ He raced across a valley. _Will this be the last time I fight as Inuyasha, the hanyou? _

He came to a stop on the edge of a cliff. Down below, a barrier struggled to remain intact, although there was no way it would survive against the two brothers. Inuyasha jumped onto a rock and crouched beside his brother. "Congratulations."

"She's beautiful." Sesshomaru replied.

"Healthy?"

"Perfectly."

"My ears?"

"They look better on her."

"Happy?"

"You have no idea."

"You ready?" Inuyasha asked.

"Oh yes." Sesshomaru said.

_Shink!_

The sound of Tokijin and Tessaiga crossing rang through the dark valley. When Naraku looked up, the only thing he could see was the red glow of Tessaiga as Inuyasha prepared to break his barrier. He had no idea where Inuyasha had been for the previous months, but he replayed the things that had lead to this moment. The fatal mistake...what was it? _That woman. She was my mistake._

Naraku knew it was over when he saw Sesshomaru and Inuyasha standing side-by-side.

* * *

**Later...**

"She's so little."

The sound of Inuyasha's voice was the first thing Kagome heard when she awoke. She felt Sesshomaru's hand holding hers. "Good morning." He said.

Kagome squeezed his hand tighter. "Let me see her."

Inuyasha walked over to Kagome and handed her the baby, smiling at her gentle gasp. "She's beautiful!" Kagome said, going through the same inspection Sesshomaru had. "Perfect little fingers, perfect little toes." She cooed. Her fingers traced the magenta lines on her arms, and the moon on her forehead. "Emiko." She said, looking up at Sesshomaru.

"A beautiful name." Sesshomaru said touching the newborns face. "Inuyasha, will you take her outside for a moment?"

When the door closed Sesshomaru sat on the edge of the bed. "I missed you." He said gently.

"I felt so lost. My mind lied to me, and I knew it. I couldn't stop it." Kagome said, squeezing his hand. "And still you stayed by me."

"I love you." Sesshomaru said. "You should know by now that I can't stay away from you, even if I try." He kissed her gently.

Inuyasha sat in a chair in the hall, watching the tiny girl suck on one of his fingers. After everything, was he supposed to be mad? The lies, the deception, the look in her eyes when he found out...somehow everything had been alright, even though the events and the actions of others literally cost him part of himself.

_Like I regret it. Ha._ Inuyasha thought. _Hanyou have a poor spot in life for more reasons than people think. Only when my youkai half died did I realize it completely. Before, there was constant turmoil in my mind, with my human side and my youkai side screaming at each other. With it died my desire for Kagome and so much of my hate. It was a blessing to me. I have peace, and I was able to let go of everything. Kagome, Sesshomaru, my own memories..._

_When I go back through that well, I'll be living in Kagome's time. If I stay here, I'll always be in danger, and I'll always be Inuyasha, the hanyou, even if I don't have my powers. And, I like it there. It's different, and it's where my life is now. I guess Kagome's life is going to be here now, I can't imagine her leaving this baby to go to school. She'll be happy here and I'll be happy there._

_This is one fucking weird happily ever after, that's for sure._

_**Please Review!**_

Special Thanks to ArizonaBay, Melantao, serasvictoria666, AngelBeautyLove, mangadreams, Rhetorical-Ducky, misstress of the flames, Destiny'sDestination, supersillee06, and Shadow35094. You guys rock!

**Next Update will be the Epilogue! Dundundundun!**

Author's Note: My next serious story will be a sick little oneshot called "Mrs. Higurashi." I'm warning you all in advance -- it's going to be weird.


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Inuyasha jumped through the well. The moon was full, and he had a tradition to keep. When he emerged on the other side, his brother was waiting on him. He tossed him the Tessaiga and grinned. "Are you frightened, little brother?"

"You're going down, Sesshomaru." Inuyasha yelled, transforming the sword and lunging at him.

It was the same every month. They'd fight, then talk and play with the amazing multitude of children that were born when everyone had settled down. _They're like an army of runts._ Inuyasha commented to himself. Sango and Miroku had five brats running around, Kagome and Sesshomaru had four daughters, and Shippou and Rin were working on adding their own to the mix, which seemed to be a sore spot for Sesshomaru.

"Not likely." Sesshomaru replied, returning an attack.

Inuyasha jumped into a tree and then lunged at Sesshomaru. "I think hanging out with all those girls has made you soft!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled. "Sit!"

Inuyasha grinned at her. "Yeah, right, my beads broke a long time ago, you're not using that trick on me again!" Sesshomaru held Tokijin to his throat and smiled. "I was just going easy on you anyway."

"You always have an excuse." Sesshomaru replied.

The argument was cut short by a chorus of light giggles which ended with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru being pummeled by four hanyou girls.

Kagome watched the scene from a distance and smiled. _My first love and the love of my life. It's hard to imagine there was a time things were ever any different than they are now. _Her life was a strange hodgepodge of memories. There was a world of skyscrapers and cars where she lead a happy life, then the frightening period of trying to collect jewel shards, which was eclipsed by the intense guilt and sorrow of Kikyou's death. After that, there was a fairly large chunk of she barely remember, and finally, bliss with Sesshomaru.

_Kikyou. Ha. In the end, neither of us got Inuyasha, and it turned out to be the best thing. I wonder if he even remembers her. I don't regret any of it, really. In the end, everything that happened put us one step closer to where we are. And I wouldn't change a damn thing._

Kagome felt Sesshomaru grab her from behind and smiled. "Hey you."

"You looked like you were thinking too hard." Sesshomaru said, kissing her hair. "Nothing good ever happens when women think."

Kagome smiled and turned. "Brave words for a man who lives in a house filled with females."

He growled playfully and pulled her closer. "I'll get a son out of you yet."

"Uh-huh." Kagome said.

"Of course. This Sesshomaru always gets what he wants." Sesshomaru replied. "But right now, he wishes to kiss the lovely lady standing before him." Kagome gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Two enemies, brought together by a little clay and some dirt, hm?"

"Shh! That's not funny!" Kagome said, trying to hide her amusement.

"If it isn't funny, why are you trying so hard not to laugh?" Sesshomaru asked.

"That's just wrong." Kagome said. "You're terrible."

Sesshomaru grinned. "You always knew that, Little Miko." His eyes locked onto a single gray hair and he frowned. It was a reminder to him, like the wrinkles slowly forming on her face. He was immortal, she wasn't, and as time passed, her body would wither.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked.

"I love you, that's all." Sesshomaru said. _I have no regrets. I will love her while I can._

* * *

_**Special thanks to all my readers and reviewers!**_

Sorry this chapter is so short. I can only stand so much sugary sweet fluff at a time, if I write any more I'll need insulin injections.


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